Norman c



(No Model.)

N. G. BASSETT.

OPERATING MEGHANISM FOR HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS.

Patented 13.11.81, 1888.

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Ntra raras ArtNr i FFICEQ NORMAN C. BASSETT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HYDRAULIC ELEVATOR COMPANY.

OPERATING MECHANISNI FOR HYDRAULIC ELEVATORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 377,346, dated January 3l, 1888.

Application tiled March 5, i885. Serial No. 157,771. (No model.)

To all 107110111/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN C. BASSETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi 5 nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Hydraulic-Elevator Valves, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of hyro draulic elevators in which the main valve of the apparatus is controlled by an auxiliary engine; and my invention consists in constructing the auxiliary engine and its valve, and in certain devices and means of operating the valve of the apparatus, as fully set forth hereinafter, so asto permit the operator in the cage l to adjust the main valve accurately, with facility, and with the exertion of but little power.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical part section of a hydraulic elevator illustrating my improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan of the valveoperating appliances in part section. Fig. 3 is a detached and enlarged section, showing the threaded pistonrod and parts in connection therewith. Figs. 4 and 5 are detached views showing different modifications in the devices for raising and lowering the piston-rod and valve-rod.

My improved valve-operating mechanism is adapted for use in connection with valves of different constructions and with hydraulic elevating apparatus of diierent kinds. I have shown it in connection with an elevating-engine in which the piston is raised and lowered by the flow of water under pressure to and from the cylinder belowthe p iston and in connection with a plungerwalve, A', which regulates the iiow ot' water to and from the cylin- 4o der and constitutes the main valve of the apparatus.

rlhe main valve A' slides vertically in a casing, A, which is enlarged at the upper end to form the cylinder C ot' an auxiliary engine by which the movements of the valve are controlled,the said auxiliary enginebeing provided with a piston, I), connected by a stein, R, to the main valve, and a valve-chest, V, contains an auxiliary valve, V', which regulates the 5o iiow of fluid to and from the auxiliary cylinder and the movements of the piston l? therein.

By this arrangement, and by connecting the auxiliary valve with the cage of the elevator, the attendant is enabled to operate large valves with but little exertion and without such extended movements of the operating-rope or other device as would be requisite to operate the valve A' directly.

In order to impart motion from the Operating-rope to the auxiliary valve V', and in order also to avoid the sudden and abrupt movement of the main valve, I employ the peculiar valveoperating mechanism, which I will now describe, the same being used in connection with said main valve A' and its operatingengine contained within the casing A, having a discharge, x, at the lower end, a supply-port, y, communicating with a supply-pipe, Y, and a lateral port, w, communicating with the lower end of the working-cylinder\V,which contains the usual piston, X.

The upper end of the cylinder C is closed by a head, H, through which extends a piston rod, B, and a port, 0, forms, when open, a communication between the upper end of the cylinder C and the auxiliary-valve chest V.

The auxiliary valve V' consists of a plunger and counterbalancing-disk connected by a rod and sliding in the lining f of the valve-chest V, and is connected at the Lipper end by a link, L, with the short arm of a double lever, L', pivoted to standards S, supported by the valve chest or other 'part of the apparatus.

The upper end ofthe pistonrod B carries a slide connected with the valve V'. llhus said rod B is provided with a coarse screw-thread adapted to corresponding threads in a slide consisting of a sleeve or nut, B', which is pro vided with a feather, a, so as to turn with but slide in a bevel-pinion, E, which turns in a socket of a standard, B3, supported upon the head of the cylinder, and provided with a screw-pin, S', which extends into an annular groove in the hulo oi' the pinion, thereby retaining it in its position without interfering with its revolution.

Vith the pinion E gears a beveled wheel, E', upon a shaft, N, turning in hearings in a standard, N', bolted to the head H, the said shaft carrying a pulley, P', which is actuated by the shifting-cable o, extending to the elevator-cage V, as usual.

` to any determined extent the movement of VV and close said port YWillcause the valve A to open the port w in the same proportion as the port o was opened.

When the main valve A is in the position shown in Fig. 2 it blocks the port w and holds the working-piston X in its position. lf now the car is to be raised, the pulley P is turned by means of the shifting-rope to revolve the gears E E and turn the sleeve-nut B' in such manner as to lift the latter, carrying with it the long arms of the lever L and opening the auxiliary valve V downward.' This permits water to flow from a supply-pipe or port, q, communicating with the auxiliary valve-chest V over the valve V therein and through the port o to the cylinder() above the piston P, thereby counterbalancing the pressure from the supply upon the lower face of the piston,

so that the pressure upon the top of the main valve A will force the latter downward, uncovering the port w and bringing the pressure upon the under side of the workingepiston X and lifting the ear.

As the piston P descends Vit carries with it the sleeve B' and the Vouter end of the lever .L,thus gradually lifting the auxiliary valve nections to an extent sulcient to move the f valve 4A one-fourth of its travel downward will be sufficient to lift the auxiliary valve V and close the port o. If, however, said valve V is thrown downward to the limit of its mo- V' open to its entire extent in order to wholly -ward and lift the auxiliary valve V', when the water will flow from above the piston P through the porto and discharge t of the auxiliary-valve chest V, and the pressure upon the under side of the piston P will lift the main valve. It the rotation of the sleevenut B' is continued so asto lower' the latter as fast or faster than the piston-rod B rises, the auxiliary valve V will be held open, and the main valve A will continue to ascend with a speed proportioned to the extent to which the port o is uncovered; but if after the valve V has been lifted to any extent the movement of the pulley P is arrested, then the main valve A will rise only until the port w has been un-A covered to the same proportion as the port o was opened by the movement ofthe auxiliary' valve V. By these means the attendant without any laborV other than is necessary to move the valve V may shift the large valve A of the hydraulic engine to any desired extent, and as speedily as may be required,fbut

without the possibility of the abrupt and sud- Vden shifting which results from the direct connection of the main valve with the shifting-rope. In order to further prevent such abrupt movements of the main valve,the passage or port o from the auxiliary-valvev chest or any of the water passages or ports may be contracted or throttled, so as to permit the water to flow to or from the auxiliary pistou P with a limited degree of speed,thereby preventing the piston from moving too rapidly. This movement may be regulated by means of a plug-valve, V7, controlling the How ol' water through the port o or other passage.

It will be evident that other means than those described for rotating. the sleeve-nut B upon the piston-rod B may be employed. For instance, it may carry a grooved pulley, T, ar-

ranged as shown in dotted lines, Figs. 2 and 4,.

round which pulley the shifting-rope maybe passed from suitableguide-pulleys. rlhe valves ICO IIO

A V' may be of any suitable construction, de-

pending to a certain extent upon the character of the elevating-engine.

Ihave shown in the drawings the cylinder of the auxiliary engine formed of part of the mainvalve casing; but it may be entirely independent thereof with proper connecting-ports. I have also shown a lever and link for communicating the motion from the sleeve-nut B to the engine-valve; but a segment-lever gearing with a slide or rack on the engine valve-rod or other device may be employed for this purpose, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that While the auxiliary valve V' maybe moved from the cage vwhether the main valve is moving or at rest, the main valve always carries withit the auxiliary valve, the slide on the pistonrod B moving independently of the.

latter under the action of the operating-rope, but accompanying the movement of said rod, resulting from the action ofthe piston P.

Vithout limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, I claiml. The combination, with the main valve, cylinder, and working-piston of a hydraulic elevator, of an auxiliary engine connected to the main valve and provided with a piston, piston-rod, and auxiliary valve, a slide connected with the auxiliary valve and supported adjustably in respect to the main valve and carried therewith, and slide-operating devices extending to the cage to shift the slide independently of the main valve, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a hydraulic elevating-engine, main valve, and cage thereof, of an auxiliary engine connected to the main valve and provided with a piston, a pistonrod, and au auxiliary valve, a lever connecting the auxiliary valve and the piston-rod of the auxiliary engine, and connections between the lever and the main valve, supported adjustably in respect to said valve and normally traveling therewith, and lever-operating devices extending to the cage, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the main enginevalve and elevator-cage, of an auxiliary-valveoperating engine provided with a piston-rod and auxiliary valve, a slide carried by said piston-rod and adjustable thereon and connected with said valve, and connections for moving said slide from the cage independent-ly of said rod, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the main-valve and auxiliary-valve operating engine, of a slide supported adjustably by the main valve, and slide-operating devices extending to the cage, and a lever connecting the slide and the auxiliary valve and pivoted near one end to proportion the movements of one valve to those ofthe other, substantially as described.

5. The combination, with the main valve and cage of a hydraulic elevator, of an auxiliary engine connected to operate the main valve and provided with a piston, a pistonrod, and an auxiliary valve controlling the flow of motor-fluid to and from the said auxiliary engine, a sleeve carried adjustably upon the said piston-rod, and connections, substantially as described, between the auxiliary valve and the sleeve and between the latter and the cage, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the valve of an elevator, of an auxiliary engine having a valve and a threaded piston-rod, a threaded sleeve upon said rod, and connections between the sleeve and cage for rotating the sleeve from the cage, and a lever connected to the auxiliary-engine valve and to said sleeve, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with the main valve and valve-operating engine of a hydraulic elevator and with the threaded piston-rod and valve of said engine, of a threaded sleeve upon the said piston-rod connected with the enginevalve, a pinion through which the sleeve slides and with which it turns, and a shaft carrying a beveled wheel gearing with said pinion, and a pulley round which passes the shifting-rope, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with the main valve of a hydraulic engine, and with an auxiliary engine for operating the saine, and with the piston-rod and valve of the said engine, of a movable slide carried by said pistonaod and independently movable thereon, and an unequal-armed lever connected with the auxiliary valve and with said slide and with the elevator-cage, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORM AN C. BASSETT.

,\Vitnesses:

ALFRED E. BARR, WILLIAM E. MonTrMER. 

